NOTICE: Printing the files within by non-commercial individuals and
libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is
included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires
permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We
encourage links to the state and county tables of content.

The USGenWeb Project makes no claims or estimates of the validity of the
information submitted and reminds you that each new piece of information must
be researched and proved or disproved by weight of evidence. It is always
best to consult the original material for verification.

Many thanks to Dr. Brian Leverich and Karen Isaacson, founders of Rootsweb Genealogical Data Cooperative
now rootsweb.com, and later MyFamily.com and The Generations Network
for generously providing space on their servers for the past 12 years. In the
spring of 2008, the USGenWeb Digital Library (USGenWeb Archives) began
hosting their pages independent of Rootsweb. We are very grateful for their
support over the years and we would not be in existence today, were it not
for the support they have given us.

In June 1996, the USGenWeb Archives was developed following a message
on ROOTS-L by Linda Russell Lewis saying it was "Time to do
something" about getting records online for free access and sharing. The
overwhelming response from other list members resulted in the development of
the USGenWeb Archives - to present actual transcriptions of public domain
records. This huge undertaking is the cooperative effort of volunteers who
either have electronically formatted files on census records, marriage bonds,
wills, and other public documents, or are willing to transcribe this
information to contribute.

Once the decision was made to develop a
project, originally called "TimeToDo" Something, a call went out to
volunteers who would be willing to transcribe primary records as a service to
the Internet genealogical community, find a way to get them posted on the
Internet, and supporting the The USGenWeb Project county hosts by storing
large files in a central location with a search engine. Space was donated by
RootsWeb.Com for storage of the files.

The table above is broken down by state.
The left column represents the location of a Table of Contents for each
state, which contain a brief description of each file and a direct link to
it. The middle column is linked to the actual directory of that state's
archived files, and the third column lists the state file managers.

The USGenWeb Archives Digital Library
was implemented in July 1996, and files are being added everyday. If you have
transcriptions to contribute, please contact the person listed on the state
Table of Contents page. Please read the Guidelines for file contributions.
The files need to be in ASCII text format, and will be converted by the state
archive manager if in another form. To help our volunteers, please read how to
prepare files for submitting.

In February, 1997, the Archives coordinator asked the archivists for a
volunteer to head up a census transcription project with the goal of getting
every census transcribed and in the USGenWeb Archives for free access. Ken
Hollingsworth answered that call and transcribers were recruited. The
original goal was to complete the 1850 census transcriptions, but the
overwhelming response from volunteers resulted in all years being included.

Software was developed, CTA, by John Rigdon for 1850, which would produce
a standardized text file and a database to be used for future census studies
and with a search engine that would point to the actual images that would be
online in the Archives. A few months later, Phil Beshear developed CART, which
produces text, database, and html, and covers several years. Late 1999, Bill
Husler developed CensTrans, geared toward MAC users.

Thanks to S-K Publications who
has provided transcription material and census images, and CensusVu, --> AllCensus and Blue Roses for
census images, and the hundreds of volunteers, census data is being uploaded
to the USGenWeb Archives everyday, both text transcriptions, and actual
images of the microfilm.

SK Publications is offering group rates for cd purchases, and donates the
images for uploading to the USGenWeb Archives. To find out how this works, Click Here